There is something special happening here.
Results Matter.
Over the next several weeks, we will be sharing important content from our newly released Promise Partnership Regional Council (PPRC) 2015 Results Report. Nearly one in three of Utah’s children live in the Promise Partnership Region, and Results Matter: The 2016 Results Report of the Promise Partnership Regional Council, describes how we are working together differently so that every child in our region can reach eight crucial milestones. This week, we are focusing on Health and Financial Stability!
*You can view the report in its entirety by clicking above.
by Kurt Micka
Executive Director, Utah Partners for Health
Health matters: Children who have access to affordable health insurance and regular health care – including dental, vision and mental health services – are more likely to attend school regularly and to learn. When adults successfully access the health care system for themselves, they also do so more consistently for their children.
A different way of working: In 2015, this year Promise Partners:
- Launched a mobile vision van for students who fail school vision screenings. Over 650 students and family members received free eye exams and glasses between January and October 2015.
- Continued to send mobile health clinics to community schools, serving 678 people between January and October. This service provides health care access for families are not eligible for health insurance.
- Formed a partnership to increase health insurance enrollment for families in parts of our region. Enrollment specialists work in our community schools to enroll and re-enroll families. We saw 3,437 individuals between January and November.
- Began to build a “no wrong door” system of healthcare referrals, to improve access to quality physical, behavioral and dental health care.
- Launched a cross-sector partnership focused on dental access (see text box below).
- Supported efforts led by Salt Lake County to integrate behavioral health into action plans that address physical health, family financial stability and education outcomes on our Roadmap.
The difference we’re making: The Promise Partnership region has seen growth in the percent of the adults that have health insurance, from 85.6% in 2013 to 87.5% in 2014.
Access to Dental Care: Ana Rivera (*name changed) is a single mother of three. When Ana and her daughter began to suffer from pain and swollen gums, no one in her family has a regular place for dental care. So, Ana was first in line when the dental partnership arrived at her child’s school.
Ana’s family is not alone. In 2014, 61.5% of Medicaid children in Utah did not visit a dentist. Our Collective Impact dental partnership offers low-income families after-hours, school-based dental services (and referrals and vouchers to dental clinics meet ongoing needs). The partnership not only enables an initial visit, but also bridges access to a permanent dental home. We have served more than 804 individuals in our after-hours clinics this year and connected 200 people with affordable clinics.
“I am grateful for the help that we received with coordinating appointments and looking for dentists to take care of our needs. It was a great help since during this time my daughter and I were starting to feel pain from our teeth. Hopefully this work is able to help many more people.” – Ana Rivera
Children and Families are Financial Stable:
The Utah Legislature, with the support and leadership of the Intergenerational Welfare Reform Commission, has established a focus on intergenerational poverty in our State and region. Click HERE to read more about the Fourth Annual Report on Intergenerational Poverty, which notes that nearly one in three (31%) of Utah’s children are at risk of remaining in poverty as they become adults, and that they are more likely to experience poor academic outcomes. Also, download the PPRC Results Report to read more about how the PPRC is committed to supporting existing efforts to address the conditions that create intergenerational poverty.
If you are interested in helping all children succeed,
from cradle to career, take this quick survey and tell us a
bit about how you can help achieve results for entire communities.
Special thanks to the 2015 partners with United Way of Salt Lake impacting community health including physical, mental, vision and dental initiatives (in alphabetical order): Assistance League, Behavioral Health Community Action Network Members, Cambia Health Foundation, Charity Vision, CHG Health Care, Community Nursing Services, Community School Directors, Davis Behavioral Health, Davis County Health Department, Davis School District, Eye Care 4 Kids, Family Counseling Center, Family Counseling of Norther Utah, Family Support Center, Goldman Sachs, Granite School District, Health Access Project, House of Hope, Intermountain Health Care, Intermountain Specialized Abuse Treatment, Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, Maliheh Free Clinic, Midtown Health Clinic, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI UT), Nurse Family Partnership, Odyssey House, People’s Health Clinic, Polizzi Foundation, Promise Park City Health Task Force, Roseman School of Dentistry, Salt Lake Community Action Program, Salt Lake County Department of Behavioral Health, Salt Lake County Department of Health, Salt Lake Donated Dental, Sealants for Smiles, Take Care Utah, University of Utah, School of Dentistry, Utah Department of Health – Family Dental Plan, Utah Health Policy Project, Utah Partners for Health, Wasatch Homeless Care, Inc. (4th Street Clinic)
